Mass Effect: The Coming Storm
In the clouded pool of the Serpent Nebula, the Guardian Fleet patrols in a defensive perimeter around the Citadel. Reports of strange activity have been abound for weeks and the possibility of a coming threat is very evident. Elsewhere, the large Volcanis Turian Fleet patrols the barren rim of the Milky Way. Admiral Anopsis of the mighty fleet is worried about the reports he has been receiving. Odd energy signatures have rippled from the unpopulated region for days before the appearance of the fleet and now they have begun again. "Charge Thanix Cannons and locate the origin of those ripples," commands Anopsis. In an instant, a flash of light blinds Anopsis and a massive vessel appears from the darkness. More follow it, each more terrifying than the last. Without warning, the mysterious vessels devastate the mighty turian fleet with a rain of fire. Anopsis makes an attempt to rally his falling ships for a counter-attack but the alien ships are too powerful. "Someone get a message to the Citadel. Tell them they are in danger," shouts Anopsis. His flagship receives a critical hit during the slaughter and the ship begins to collapse around him. As the mysterious ships rip passed what remains of the turian's fleet, the flagship of Anopsis detonates in a flash of fire. The Citadel Location: Widow System, Serpent Nebula Time: 00:00 Date: 03-10-2192 In the Presidium, a major court hearing is in progress. For months, long after the end of the Vega Campaign, the fate of a single soldier has been of everyones interest. After these long months of deliberation, the case is coming to it's close. "Has the jury completed it's deliberation," asks the Salarian Councilor. "Yes," says a turian rising from the bench. "We, the Jury, find the defendant, Captain Erol Roland, guilty of treason and desertion." The turians sits back on the bench. "Very well, for the acts of treason against your government and desertion, the Council banishes you from Citadel space for life," says the asari councilor. "You should count yourself lucky you had political supporters in this trial. Under normal circumstances, you would face death," adds the turian councilor. Two guards walk up to Erol who is quite calm and compliant. They take him away as the Presidium Court roars. Elsewhere, in the station security headquarters, an oddity occurs. "Sir, I think you should see this," says a C-Sec officer peering into a monitor. "What is it, Williams," replies the C-Sec captain. Walking over, the captain can see the strange readings before reaching the monitor. "What the hell," says the captain as he stares into the monitor. "Williams, get the fleet flagship on the line. This can't be good." The monitor streamed readings of unusual energy readings followed by a barely understandable distress message. On the Glorious Fate, the flagship of the Guardian Fleet, a message comes in. The captain does not hesitate to relay the message to the rest of the fleet and the Citadel. As high alert grips the Widow System, Erol is taken away on a freighter marked for Pandora, the desolate Terminus colony. Only seconds after it disappears through the neighboring mass relay, the fleet of alien ships appears on a collision course with the Citadel. The Citadel had fortified it's lines well before the hostile armada entered battle range. The Guardian Fleet launched an all out defensive bombardment on the fleet with support fire from the Citadel itself. Hundreds of explosions rang out before the realization that the bombardment was having no effect on the ships. They were equipped with defenses so powerful, their hulls were able to stand against the following energy weapons rain. The aliens engaged the Guardian Fleet in an all out assault and pushed them back long enough for their flagship to appear; a Reaper. The Reaper blasted through the remaining defenses and went straight for the Citadel. The council was being evacuated during this time but this time, Commander Shepard was not alive to save them. The ship they were housed within, the Zero Savior, was swatted like a fly by one of the Reaper's large tenticles. As the Reaper began to open the defensive walls of the Citadel, the remaining survivors tried all they could to save the falling station. ''The remnants of the Guardian Fleet engaged the Reaper, trying to dislodge it from the Citadel but it was too late, it had begun to activate the mass relay. The survivors onboard the Citadel had no choice, they had to destroy the Citadel. In the final hours, the Citadel was set for self-destruct but the unfortunate appearance of two other Reapers through the Citadel Relay was horrifying. The station imploded before anymore could come into combat and the resulting shockwave obliterated whatever remained save for the Reapers and the mysterious alien ships. News of what happened spread through the stars at FTL speeds and within three hours, the entire galaxy was in panic. On Illium, thousands were evacuating hoping to return to the homeworld where the strongest defenses were being made. Turians from all over the galaxy began flocking to Palaven, not to hide but to join the turian military to become the next wave of soldiers into battle. The salarians were securing all of their assets throughout the galaxy, moving prominent families to secret colonies and deploying secret weapons. Tuchanka was a world that saw promise in the coming storm. Krogan from all walks of life returned to Tuchanka under clan Urdnot and prepared their armies for a glorious yet unsuccessful battle. The Enoch had massed their entire military force around their world preparing to assault any hostiles. Most of the Terminus races just panicked and ran where ever they could. Humans were building up every precaution they could with deploying their specialized military units, migrating to the more heavily defended territory, and setting up traps for whenever the Reapers could appear. Elsewhere, on Pandora, one man noticed something that everyone else was too afraid to realize; the Reapers weren't attacking. Apparently, they haven't budged since the destruction of the Citadel. Watching the dark clouds roll through the skies of Pandora, Erol lights a cigarette while sitting on a boulder of stone and gold. Behind him, a shed which the freighter dropped on the planet for him to live in, and a M20 Warhound. They also left him an extranet radio and some weapons, perks that wouldn't have been provided for any average person. He listens as the radio details the unfolding story. "Don't they realize; the Reapers aren't going to attack... They can't," says Erol to himself. What many people didn't know is that the Citadel was like a giant network hub for the multiple programs held within each Reaper. When it was destroyed, the resulting shockwave left them intact but put them into stasis. No one knew of this however. Erol only knew because Commander Shepard once told him when he was on his Spectre training mission. It didn't take long to realize this as a bold salarian scouting team spotted the Reapers still at the Citadel wreckage. After quick deliberation, it was clear to the Citadel races that they should go in for a joint-attack at once. Fleets from every Citadel races military converged on the Reapers at once but before a single shot could be fired, the mysterious ships returned. Like viciously-loyal guards they fought the organic armada to a stand still before the appearance of an alien dreadnought. The massive vessel burned through the organic's fleet with a single shot from it's massive cannon. The scattering ships were officially outmatched and as they were swatted like flies, some turian captains engaged their ships into suicidal collision courses which managed to deal with some hostile ships. The rest, however, pushed the organics back and nearly crippled their offensive and defensive capabilities. Days later back on Pandora, Erol just finished up some Varren hunting. As he dragged the bloodied corpse of a wild varren back to his shed, he noticed the shuttle flying overhead. "No use in exploring this planet fellas," said Erol to himself. Then, after getting a better look at the shuttle, he realized it was a Cerberus Kodiak. He dropped his Varren and put his hand on his holstered pistol. The shuttle landed and three Cerberus representatives stepped out. "Erol Roland, we don't have long so if you want to get off of this rock, I suggest you come with us now," says one of the representatives. Erol doesn't hesitate to follow.